Revilo oliver



(No Model B. OLIVER.

FENCE POST.

N0. 598 3. Patented Jan. 25, 1898.

193%}10? Revilo a e! @y h I s w hr UNITED STATES PATENT: Orricn.

REVILO OLIVER, OF OHATSVVORTI'I, ILLINOIS.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,003, dated January 25, 1898. Application filed May 22, 1897. $erial No. 637,733 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RnvILo OLIVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chatsworth, in the county of Livingston and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Fence-Post, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fences, and particularly to posts for supporting the runners; and the object in view is to provide a simple and efficient construction of post whereby the setting thereof is facilitated and whereby whenin place it is held firmly against disarrangenient by strains applied either laterally or in the direction of lifting, as by frost or the equivalent thereof.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a section of fence having posts constructed in accordance with my invention, one of the posts being shown in full,with the anchor and stem exposed. Fig. 2 is a view of the stem and the operating-lever attached thereto as seen when setting the base of the post. Fig. 3 is a view of the stem after the displacement of the operating-lever and the application of the anchor. Fig. 4 is a detail View in perspective of the brace or anchor.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The post embodying my invention is of sectional construction and comprises a base adapted to be sunk to the proper depth in the soil and an exposed member which is arranged in alinement with the base and is held in an upright position thereby. The base consists of a stem 1, provided at its lower end with a cutting-head or anger 2, the upper extremity of the stem having an enlargement 3, of which the upper portion is threaded for engagement by a sleeve 4 at the lower extremity of the upper or exposed member 5 of the post. The said upper or exposed member is preferably constructed of tubing, such as gas-pipe or its equivalent, and is fitted at its upper end with a cap 6 and at its lower end with the sleeve or union 4, said union being interiorly threaded to engage the threaded upper extremity of the stem after the latter has been sunk to the proper depth in the soil.

The enlargement 3 of the stem is designed to receive the tubular hub 8 of a winged anchor 9, said hub snugly fitting the enlargement and adapted to be arranged with the upper edges of its wings approximately flush with the surface of the ground, and thus afiord lateral support to the upper portion of the stem. This anchor, however, is applied only after the base has been properly set to the proper depth in the ground, as hereinafter explained.

In'the operation of setting a post the upper or exposed member thereof is detached from the stem, and in lieu thereof is applied an operating-lever 10, having a central T-coupling 11 toengage the threaded upper extremity of the stem. Placing-the point of the auger-head upon the ground at the desired point, the stem is turned by means of the lever and the auger-head is caused to cut into the soil until the stem has been sunk to such a depth as to allow its upper extremity to project only slightly above the surface, as seen in Fig. 3. The operating-lever is then detached, and upon the enlargement of the stem is fitted the anchor, which is forced into the soil by pressure applied to the upper edges of the Wings until said upper edges are approximately fiush with the surface. The exposed member of the post is then applied to the threaded extremity of the stem, as shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 3 the parts are shown in the positions which they occupy just prior to the engagement of the lower extremity of the exposed post member with the threaded extremity of the stem.

From the above description it will be seen that the base or lower member of the post may be readily set at the desired point and that when sunk to the proper depth the auger-head is below the frost-line, thus preventing the displacement of the post by frost. Furthermore, the lower edges of the Wings of the anchor are reduced or sharpened to facilitate their depression into the soil, and the sleeve or thimble at the lower end of the exposed post member bears upon the upper end of the hub of the anchor, and thus prevents the latter from being displaced.

In connection with the above-described post I have illustrated runners 12 extending through eyes or keepers 13 on the upper post member and provided at intermediate points with adjusters or tension devices 14. Furthermore, by constructing the anchor with a cross-sectionally-round sleeve and providing the stem 1 with a rounded enlargement of corresponding diameter with the bore of the sleeve, adapted to fit therein, the anchor is adapted to maintain a fixed position with the edges of its blades in contact with the soil, while the stem is turned therein. Hence after sinking the stem approximately to the desired depth and then fitting the anchor over the enlargement thereof and applying the exterior portion of the post until the lower end thereof bears upon the upper end of the sleeve of the anchor any further rotation of the stem by means of the exposed portion of the post will by the pressure of the lower end of said exposed portion of the post force the anchor down into the soil to countersink its blades, said anchor being unaffected by the rotary motion of the stem. Thus the forcing of the anchor to its place, with the upper edges of its wings or blades flush with the surface of the soil or slightly below the surface, may be accomplished with facility, whereas during the preparatory operation of sinking the stem said anchor is not in the way of the operator. Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is' A fence-post of sectional construction, comprising a lower member having a stem fitted at its lower extremitywith a on tting-head and at its upper extremity with a rounded enlargement forming a bearing portion, an upper or exposed member having its lower end removably threaded upon the upper end of said enlargement of the stem, and a winged anchor having a tubular central hub loosely fitted upon the enlargement or hearing portion of the stem to allow independent rotation thereof, and adapted to be applied thereto prior to the engagement of the upper member with the stem, and to be arranged below and to receive the downward pressure of the lower extremity of said upper member, whereby the simultaneous rotation of the upper and lower members, after the application of the anchor, will cause the vertical depression of the anchor into the soil, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ownI have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

REVILO OLIVER.

l Vitnesses:

G. W. MOGABE, J. A. OORBETT. 

